Emotionless
by Mikomi-Kiyoko
Summary: The smallest action can make a big impact in someone's life, even if you don't realize it at first. [saisaku] [read only if updated with latest manga chapters]
1. Saké

"What do you mean, 'You're taking the day off.'?!" A pink-haired kunoichi cried out as she brought her fists down onto her unsuspecting desk located in the Hokage tower, her brute strength alone obliterating it to pieces as her sensei frowned with mild distaste.

"Sakura…" The Godaime began, trying her best to sympathize with the angry teen. Tsunade rubbed her temples in a vain attempt to soothe the oncoming headache. Sighing, she decided to get to the point before her pupil decided to destroy the entire tower in a furious rage. "Look, I know you don't want to do this, but ever since…" Tsunade hesitated slightly, "Ever since _that_ mission, you haven't been drafted since."

Sakura took this brief moment of silence to display her aggravation through a loud grunt while clenching balled fitsts at her sides, but the Godaime merely ignored her and continued.

"You and I both know that it's mandatory for a chuunin to complete at least _one_ mission every month, so you _need_ to go train for this, Sakura! It's not going to be some simple delivery mission, and I know you know that." Tsunade glared at her pupil, equally frustrated, while Sakura decided the silent treatment was best at this time, deciding that the mess on the Hokage's desk were far more interesting than her sensei's lecture.

'She really is helpful around here; less paperwork for me… But the Hokage can't play favourites!' Tsunade reminded herself while watching her pupil gaze at nothing. Nodding towards Sakura, Tsunade called for her assistant. "Shizune!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" The black-haired woman answered. The small pig she was carrying, donned with a blue vest and a pearl necklace, let out a small noise, drawing Sakura's attention towards it for a moment.

"Please escort Sakura out of the building, and do _not_ allow her back in until she has completed at least one mission." Tsunade ordered as she wandered over to her desk, which was difficult to locate under the piles of scattered, unfinished paperwork.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Shizune complied, setting the small pig down. Grabbing Sakura by the arm, Shizune dutifully – and forcefully – escorted Tsunade's student out of the room.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Sakura growled. "I _know_ where the exit is." Her attempts for freedom were futile; for Shizune, handling a pissed off teenaged girl was far easier than a drunken Hokage.

"Haruno-san, please stop struggling or I'll be forced to subdue you." Shizune stated emotionlessly as they began down the stairs. Sakura finally gave in, not without allowing inner Sakura to snarl freely inside her head.

'**How dare they kick us out! After everything we've done for that drunken, lazy, ancient, ungrateful…'**

Tsunade pushed herself from the door, assured that she was free, before dancing happily over to her desk while Tonton stared at the gleeful woman curiously.

"Saké, saké, saké, saké!" The Godaime sang out while hastily shoving papers off of her desk and chair, pulling open drawers and laying the contents rashly on any flat surface she could find. One particular bottle caught her attention.

"Hello there…" Tsunade breathed softly, dangerously close to her reflection. "Do you want to go into my tummy?" Tonton sweat dropped. "Yes you do! I know you do!" Tsunade baby-talked the bottle as she opened it, soon after consuming a generous amount of the contents. "Ahahaha! I love you, and you love me!" Tsunade turned around towards Shizune's pet, while Tonton thought it best to begin backing up. "You too! I love you too! And yoooou! How are you, Mr. Lamp?" Tsunade cooed, rubbing up against it rather violently, sending it crashing to the floor while saké rained down. Curious as to this new substance, Tonton waddled over and began tasting it. Tsunade was surprisingly quick to notice. "Oh? The little piggy who didn't go to the market likes my saké?"

With a loud thump, Tsunade sat down next to Shizune's pet, who happened to be airborne for a few seconds as Tsunade poured the rest of her bottle onto the floor. Tonton eyed her cautiously.

"What? Am I not allowed t'share?" The Hokage slurred slightly, reaching for another bottle that had fallen when she had graciously sat down. Leaning towards the pig, Tsunade gave a crooked smile before murmuring, "D'ya like t'dance with lamps?"

After another helpful swig, Tsunade threw back her head in laughter, perhaps a little too hard, as one of her sandals rocketed through the air before lodging itself in the wall as she lay on her back.

Sakura shuddered as she stumbled out of the building; with Shizune's assistance, of course. "Did you just…" Sakura trailed off – there weren't any words for what she'd just sensed, but Shizune nodded nonetheless. Sakura bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry for trying to incapacitate you on the stairs," The medic nin stated. Shizune merely waved it off, "Completely understandable. I mean, you _are_ Tsunade-sama's pupil," she laughed.

Both of them jumped as a lamp flew from a window into a nearby tree, seemingly connecting with someone's face before plummeting the final distance to the ground. Or at least, what was left of it. Jiraiya soon slumped out of the tree after it, more than unconscious.

"Oh no! Mr. Lamp! Wherever did you go? I swear on me grandmama's flying hotdog that that inflatable dolphin was a magnetically legal transportational device authorized by all of the candy men in the world! Even that round guy down that lane with all the pretty colours!" A very intoxicated Tsunade bellowed, instilling fear into everyone with fifty yards of her office.

Shizune sighed. "I trust you can find your way to the training grounds? I have to go deal with… that." She forced a nervous smile. Sakura opened her mouth to reply when a small explosion managed its way out of Tsunade's window.

"Slow down, little piggy! I do say that was a bit much!"

Regaining composure over her slack jaw, Sakura remarked quickly, "As long as you make sure our _Hokage_ doesn't end up the cause of Konohagakure's extinction." Waving at Shizune, the medic nin started down the road. Tsunade's assistant grimaced as a few children were pulled inside their houses by fearful parents.

"Deal," She muttered under her breath before rushing back inside.


	2. Green, Loud, and Annoying

**First off, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed on my first chapter so quickly! You guys really inspired me to get this one out. Hope you enjoy it! Chapter three should be up on the weekend.**

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Sakura exhaled loudly as she wandered in the general direction of the training grounds. 

'Stupid Tsunade… She can fill out her _own_ saké order forms.' The kunoichi thought passively.

"HELLO, SAKURA-CHAN!"

'Oh, great…' Sakura sweat dropped before turning around with a forced smile, eyebrow twitching uncontrollably, to find herself inches away from the face of an ecstatic, bowl-cut, spandex clad, training happy ninja. She dropped her act.

"Hi, Lee." She responded unenthusiastically, letting out another long sigh. Rock Lee seemed unphased by this – or rather, failed to notice altogether – as he began with the exact topic that had Sakura in such a bitchy mood.

"So, Sakura-chan, I heard that our Hokage, the great Tsunade-sama," Sakura fought back laughter as Inner Sakura giggled loudly inside her head. "HAS GIVEN YOU A DAY OFF TO TRAIN!"

That caught her attention.

"So, seeing as how we're so close, I figured that I, the Green Beast of Konoha, should-"

"Hold it right there, Lee." An older-looking clone spoke as a hand was placed firmly onto Lee's shoulder. "You haven't forgotten about _our_ training, have you? You weren't… going to skip it, were you?" The man gave Lee a piteous look. Lee's eyes welled up in response as he apologized, "Gai-sensei, I'm sorry that I almost forgot about our training! I'll do whatever it to takes to make up for my mistake! YOSH!"

Sakura stared on in disturbance, knowing exactly what was to come as Lee gave her the 'Good Guy Pose'.

"I shall run around the outer gates of Konoha five thousand times in three minutes on my hands while carrying seventy-three pinecones, and if I fail to complete that task, I shall kick and punch five hundred trees into fine toothpicks for that new store down the street near my house by the time this day comes to an end, and if I cannot—"

"Lee."

"—complete such a simple task as that one, I shall carry Sakura around the village on my shoulders to wherever she pleases for a week—"

"Lee."

Sakura backed up slowly, a bit scared that _she_ was going to be part of Lee's 'make-up training'.

"—and if at the end of the week she is not satisfied—"

"Lee!"

"—then I shall steal Kakashi-sensei's X-rated books to cleanse him of his lustful thoughts, and if even after _that_ I—"

"LEE!" Gai yelled as he gave his pupil a powerful punch to the head, sending the boy flying a few feet as Sakura watched in horror and disbelief. "Lee, listen to me." Gai began as he walked over to where his student was picking himself up out of the small-crater his face had created, rubbing his head. Sakura's eye twitched defensively.

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee replied, hands clasped together in front of his chin as he looked up expectantly at his idol. "I am listening! Please, grace me with your youthful words!"

"It's alright, Lee." Gai gave a freakish smile that resulted in Sakura backing away a few more feet and Lee nodding. "Whenever a lady is involved in our lives, such handsome men as ourselves have trouble keeping our minds on the task at hand; even training. Do you know what I mean?" Cue freakish smile paired with tooth sparkle.

"Yes, Gai-sensei!"

"I mean, how could any woman resist such a sexy, manly stud such as myself?" Gai asked in a creepy tone, flashing his 'Good Guy Pose' at Sakura, who gagged slightly, despite her attempts not to.

"Yes, Gai-sensei! I understand now! I will work hard and follow your youthful advice to stay on task from now on!" Lee exclaimed with probably more enthusiasm than what was necessary.

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Sakura's jaw dropped in shock as the two green-clad men in front of her embraced each other, a lovely sunset backdrop and the splash of some waves adding the final disturbing touch.

'These guys are just too weird!' Barely managing to poke her brain back into functioning mode, Sakura began formulating her plan to get away from the spandex freaks. "I've uh, I've got to go train!" She called as she began walking away rather hastily.

"WAIT! SAKURA-CHAN!" Lee cried out in a way that sent shivers up her spine as he reached towards her, as if sending an invitation to the kunoichi to join the freak hug.

"I don't want to keep you from your training!" She responded reflexively over her shoulder as bursts of chakra erupted from the soles of her feet, enhancing her getaway sprint. 'How in the world do those two… Why are they… Do they do _anything_ besides train and assume that women want—'

"AHH! Hey, watch where you're going, ass—oh, Sakura-chan! How's training going with Tsunade-ba-chan?" The blue-eyed boy whom Sakura had slammed into greeted her as he stood up. As she struggled to pick herself up from the strange up-side-down position she'd landed in, she caught the boy frowning, as if thinking. "Hey, Sakura-chan… Aren't you supposed to be working or something right now?" The blonde asked, scratching the back of his head in wonder.

"I got kicked out." Sakura replied flatly as she stood up and began dusting the dirt off of her clothes. Naruto stared at her for a moment, blinking. Suddenly, without warning, he broke out laughing. "You're kidding, right?" He added as he saw the serious look spreading over her already pissed-off features, already beginning to regret his comment.

"No. I—"

"Tsunade-sama gave Sakura the day off to train for her upcoming mission." Kakashi stated liesurely as he walked between the two of them, nose in his book and visible eye crinkling happily—the only way for anyone to tell if he was smiling. Sakura glared at her sensei. 'I can speak for myself, y'know…'

Naruto appeared astonished at this new information. "Wow, really? Hey, Sakura, who's your sparring partner? Oh, I know! Hey, Sakura, I'll be your partner!" The boy exclaimed, excitement visibly rolling off of him in waves. Sakura opened her mouth to respond when Kakashi reappeared in a cloud of smoke between them, obviously against this statement. '**Why does everyone insist on cutting me off today!**' Inner Sakura screamed, thrashing about in anger.

"Naruto, you've just spent thirty-seven hours straight — without rest — training. You are not permitted to do anything but sleep for the next day." The jounin said matter-of-factly. "But—" Naruto began, frustrated, the signs of his exhaustion becoming apparent as his left eyelid sagged. "Hokage's orders. If you have a problem with it, feel free to take it up with Tsunade-sama."

"Ah…" Sakura began sheepishly, one hand raised in the air in front of her in an attempt to gain their attention. Seemingly it worked, as both Naruto and Kakashi turned towards her, Yamato appearing out of nowhere and walking past them, obviously uninterested.

"Hmm?" Kakashi inquired while Naruto simply gave her a quizzical look.

"You might not want to visit Tsunade-sama today; she, uhh… She's a little… _out_ of it,"

"Hmm," Kakashi hummed in response. "Very well then. Come on." Naruto struggled, letting out noises of resentment towards his sensei as he was dragged away. Yamato reappeared next to Sakura, startling her as he followed. 'That guy and his wood clones…' The kunoichi sighed, attempting to regain her ninja composure.

"GOOD LUCK TRAINING, SAKURA-CHAAAANNNN!" The boy dressed in orange screamed before he was dragged out of sight around a corner. Sakura suppressed her anger and waved in acknowledgement before noticing the crowd of people watching her. Placing the arm she was waving with behind her head nervously, she laughed slightly before walking away, swiftly leaping onto a rooftop and sprinting towards the training grounds.

'Stupid Naruto! He hasn't changed a bit! Who the hell does he think he is!'

'**SHANNARO!**'

Inner Sakura seemed to agree. It wasn't long before the sea of rooftops diminished and an open area lined with trees came into the chuunin's sight. Scanning the grounds quickly for any familiar chakra signatures, Sakura leapt down skilfully, landing softly. "Even after all of that, I _still_ make it here before…" New information just brought itself up to the kunoichi. Or rather, lack there-of. "Wait — who's my part—" Sakura was cut off as a kunai shot out from the trees and was lodged directly into the middle of her chest. She gasped as a cloud of smoke surrounded her, a log with a kunai stabbed into it the only thing remaining as it clunked against the soil.

"Substitution." The real Sakura explained as she dropped from the rooftops, smirking as she turned towards the trees. "Are you going to show yourself or what?" She inquired impatiently, drawing several shuriken from her pouch. A few senbon were fired out of the trees towards her neck and other vital points, forcing her to dodge sideways, and then backwards. Sakura's eyes widened as she felt herself back up into someone. Remaining calm about the situation, Sakura waited for her opponent to speak as she studied the origin of the previous attacks from the trees. Squinting, the pink-haired girl tried to make out what was dripping from the tree branches. She could almost hear the sickening smile as the long awaited response came.

"Hello, Ugly."


	3. The End

**Sorry that it's a bit late! I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to make this all flow, and decided to break it up into two chapters rather than one incredibly long one. So, hope you enjoy! And please review; they really do motivate me. /sadattemptforreviews**

**On with the story!  
**

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Sakura growled angrily as her opponent continued smiling stupidly. 

"Sai…" The kunoichi began, struggling to oppress her rage towards her unimaginably irritating teamate, clenching her fists in an attempt to channel her energy. She failed to notice that her fingernails were beginning to puncture the skin of her palms.

"Yes, Hag?" He acknowledged, still smiling as Sakura pivoted, plunging two kunai into his body, one in the gut and one through his chest. She watched with increasing anger as Sai's content-appearing face began to melt into ink.

"When I get my hands on you, Sai, I'll make sure to leave you unrecognizable…" Sakura threatened in a malicious voice as she turned towards the trees. Losing what little control she had over herself, the chuunin snapped. "Come on, Sai! I never knew you were such a coward! And you call _Naruto_ a dick-less wonder!" Sakura smashed the earth beneath herself with a devastating stomp, cracking the earth so powerfully that a number of trees collapsed in the process. Moments before the dust even had a chance to settle, Sakura counted approximately seven of Sai's ink beasts leaping out of the trees towards her, fangs bared and snarling. "Now, that's more like it." She smirked as she dodged a large paw before slashing through it with a kunai, breaking the ink flow and causing the beast to collapse into nothing but a puddle.

"Keep your eyes on your opponents, Ugly." Sai chastised. Sakura spun around on the spot in the direction of Sai's voice. Another thing she noticed — besides the fact that the jounin had revealed himself — was that the remaining six ink lions were slowly circling her, growling almost hungrily.

Not wasting any time, Sakura swiftly performed the hand signs for the shadow clone technique, four clones now joining her back to back inside the circle in a quick puff of smoke.

"Ugly _and_ stupid." Sai commented, tossing her yet another smile. Sakura chose to ignore this as one of her clones aimed two shuriken at Sai, nicking a summon in the process while another tossed a couple senbon to keep the lions at bay. The next clone leapt onto the shoulders of the first clone, sending this time four shuriken at the lions while the first clone threw six kunai towards Sai. Sakura was busy preventing the lions from closing in on them along with her other clones. Sai was having difficulty dodging the barrage as well as controlling his summons. He noted that their strategy appeared to be to lure him closer to the circle by aiming at his head and sides, forcing him forwards. 'Damn…' He thought as an unseen senbon launched by the second clone pierced right through his scroll and into his forearm as the third clone bounded to the top of the growing tower of clones, strategically firing several shuriken and kunai at the shinobi along with the other clones while Sakura and her fourth clone fought to protect the pillar. The black-haired jounin hissed lightly as he tore the weapon from his arm.

Sai narrowed his eyes. 'I can't wait any longer; if I do…' The jounin quickly commanded two of his summons to attack the pillar, but Sakura and her clone were ready for them, mirroring each other as they each ducked under the claws of their own lion before stabbing a kunai into it's underbelly, shredding the lines as the ink fell rapidly, the lions falling apart. The four remaining summons closed in the newly created space, forming a tighter circle as Sakura grew slightly nervous at the limited amount of foot room while her last clone climbed the tower, all the while the other clones were constantly boxing Sai in, forcing him closer to the circle and leaving him with no options against it since his summons were also being attacked.

'Okay, maybe not _stupid_, but she's still ugly.' Sai stated to himself while he started to draw another creature, conceding the defeat of his lions. Sakura's clones covered her while she struggled to climb to the top, firing far too many weapons to count at the retreating lions too count. "Not so fast!" She cried out as the clone beneath her gave her a chakra-boosted launch at Sai. The shinobi ignored her as he scribbled on the scroll frantically, desperate to put something between himself and the kunoichi as kunai, shuriken and senbon alike rained around him. He looked up when it stopped, eyes wide as he saw the four clones leaping down as hard as they could, forcing the remaining chakra they contained into the ground, creating a rather large crater before dissipating into clouds of smoke. Losing his balance upon the now cracked and very unevenly leveled ground, Sai lost his grip on one side of the scroll, watching helplessly as it fluttered above him from the shockwave from the clones. Sakura fired multiple kunai through it, flying through the ink bird that failed to live and continued straight at Sai. Having no other options, the jounin raised his arms in front of himself as a last line of defence, forcing chakra into them in an attempt to lessen the blow.

Sakura cried out as she slammed into him from above so forcefully that the earth beneath Sai's cracked, the chakra from each nin exploding in a burst of light as the shinobi landed painfully on his back. Using the kinetic motion from his opponent, the jounin managed to flip her over with a powerful knee to her gut, sending her out of the cloud of dust that now surrounded Sai. Sakura skid along the ground, dust flying up carelessly as the kunoichi strained to keep her footing.

Recovering from the attack, Sai quickly rose to a defensive stance as the dirt around himself slowly settled. He took a moment's glance to notice that a kunai was lodged deeply into the ground a few mere inches from where his head was a few moments ago. 'She was trying to kill me.' A faint laugh from the girl brought Sai's attention back to what — or rather, who — he was supposed to be focusing on. Reaching behind his back for another scroll, Sai's eyes widened in shock as all he grabbed was air. 'She took my bag and I didn't notice..?'

"Heh… 'Keep your eyes on your opponents', _Sai._" Sakura murmured tauntingly, barely loud enough for Sai to register it. He narrowed his eyes as the kunoichi spat some blood from her mouth before wiping the trail of it off of her face with the back of her hand, finally making eye contact with him, jade eyes full of bloodlust. "_All_ of your opponents." She finished as her fifth clone finally revealed herself, bringing a kunai to the stone-faced jounin's neck. Sai acted as if nothing was happening, continuing to stare at Sakura before speaking, body as tense as a board.

"And here I was thinking there was a possibility that you weren't stupid, just ugly. But you've proven me wrong yet again," Sakura raised her chin in a slightly victorious manner, her teamate's insults sliding off of her easily. "Hag." The jounin finished before agilely elbowing the previously hidden clone in the gut before pushing her arm away from his neck, twisting around while manoeuvring away from her attempted punches before kicking her ruthlessly in the side of the head. He didn't even bother to watch as the clone's head ricocheted off the ground before exploding in a burst of smoke, returning his steady gaze to the unconcerned kunoichi.

"Five shadow clones, ten percent of your overall chakra per clone. Minus fifty prevent overall chakra." Sakura leered at Sai as he declared the amount of her remaining chakra precisely. "Six ink summons, five percent of my overall chakra per summon. Minus thirty percent overall chakra." Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion. 'What is he, an idiot?' She thought to herself. 'What sort of jounin tells his opponent the amount of chakra he has remaining? But of course, _I'm_ the idiot between us, right, Sai..?' "One ink clone, ten percent per clone." Sai continued, refusing to budge from his location atop the broken pieces of ground. "Minus forty percent overall chakra. I have the advantage, Hag." He smiled warmly at her while Sakura sneered.

"No, you're wrong, Sai," He gave her a serious look as his smile fell slowly. The kunoichi took this as a signal to elaborate. "One failed attempt at an ink summon. Minus ten percent from your remaining chakra; we're even." The shinobi continued to give her a flat stare, edging her on to make the next move. Sakura decided this was the time to fish for insults. Grinning evilly, the kunoichi tilted her head, hands on hips in a provacative manner.

"What, no good comebacks? I'm beginning to wonder what sort of nickname _you_ deserve…"

"This is not training," Sai cut in, obviously disregarding Sakura's attempt to stir him up. "The Hokage assigned me to help you train. You're wasting valuable time." He finished, stating everything in a tone that dripped with professionalism.

"Aw, who knew? Sai's a big suck-up to those who out rank him! Now, what nickname would best suit someone like you?" Sakura placed an index finger to her lips, her other hand still placed on her hip as she glanced up at the sky, exaggerating the fact that she was thinking. Sai, however, was beginning to feel agitated and nervous. 'No; not nervous. _Uncomfortable._' He told himself. No one had ever given him a nickname before, so he was unsure of what to do given the situation.

Sakura glanced back towards Sai, eyes grinning menacingly while the kunoichi herself smiled innocently, walking towards him with her hands behind her back. Sai shifted backwards—it was that smile she had on. It was the same one she wore every time he pissed her off enough to punch him thirty feet down the road, if not over buildings, and without his scrolls, he was rather defenceless against her monstrous strength. Standing his ground, Sai watched curiously as Sakura stopped only feet away from him, smile plastered on her face. "I know the _perfect_ name for you," The girl lured sweetly. Sai blinked before smiling back. "What is it?" He inquired genuinely. Sakura giggled quietly before the look of hatred and torture became evident across her features. Raising her fist, Sakura gave Sai an unsuspected chakra-boosted blow to the side of his face, accompanied with a, "SHANNARO!", as she sent him flying through the air at a tremendous speed.

Straining to keep her sight on him, Sakura watched as Sai took out pieces of the ground, rocks and dust flying up uncontrollably, creating a translucent wall in the air so thick that she lost sight of her teamate as he rammed headfirst into a tree. Taking her time to walk over to the fallen jounin, Sakura displayed a show of complete smugness as Sai remained motionless at her feet, tree split clean down the centre as a flock of birds chirped in complaint as the flew away. Glaring down at him, Sakura replied.

"It's ass-kisser." Kicking a few rocks at the bloodied shinobi, the chuunin turned on her heel, intending to leave the training grounds, fuming as she walked back out into the open. Too pissed off to care whether or not Sai was unconscious, the kunoichi failed to hear him coughing up dust along with a bit of blood. Raising his head and wincing slightly in pain, the jounin refused to allow Sakura to simply walk away.

"Is that it, Hag? You're… even uglier from behind." Sai managed to choke out as he slowly lifted himself up, using the now dead tree for support. Sakura stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around to watch as the wounded shinobi flinched, gently grazing his ribs with his fingertips, struggling to keep his expression void of emotion. He blinked repeatedly as he tried to clear his vision of the blood that was trickling down his forehead, gripping his chest with his right hand.

Sakura finally decided to respond. "Do you _want_ me to kill you?" She berated, still facing in the opposite directed. He watched impertinantly as she began noticeably shaking exasperatedly. Sai immediately dropped his arm as Sakura twisted around, slinging several shuriken at her partner, whom in return tried to evade them as best as he could without making too many painful jerks. Despite his attempts, one of the stars caught his shoulder, lacerating the skin before lodging itself along with the material of his shirt into the tree, pinning Sai momentarily. "You really do have a death wish, don't you?" Sakura interrogated her prey stoically as she sauntered towards him. Sai replied with a toneless face as he tugged on the shuriken, simultaneously attempting to free his sleeve from the wood. Venturing into dangerous territory, the shinobi strained to pry Sakura's attention from his position. "The only way someone as stupid and ugly as you could kill me is with your horribly disfigured face." Sai declared, still struggling with the shuriken as discretely as possible, which was proving to be more than difficult. The kunoichi glowered at him.

"Is that a challenge?" Sakura balled her fist as it began glowing brightly with blue chakra, diverting Sai's focus and bringing a feeling of alarm to the surface. He watched with cement limbs as Sakura sprinted towards him, right arm extended backwards, teeth clenched together painfully and lips pulled back in a snarl as the chuunin executed her punch with a vengeful growl. Sai blinked as his instincts took over, distantly noting that he'd ripped his shirt from the tree and thrown himself sideways, out of Death's way, his eyes wide in pain and shock as Sakura's attack reduced what was left of the tree to a few sparse splinters as an immeasurable amount of dust exploded outwards. Scrambling to his feet, the black-haired jounin had only a few mere seconds to sidestep a punch that shot out from the cloud, followed quickly by a spinning kick, forced to defend against the second kick with his arms, grunting as he skid backwards, gaining several feet between himself and a pissed off nin. He took advantage of this distance to examine his chest, wincing slightly. 'Damn. Three broken ribs.' He assessed to himself as Sakura watched, eyes narrowed and ready to react to any moves the shinobi may be planning to make.

'She _must_ be running out of weapons by now… If I could only keep this distance between us…' Flipping open his pouch, Sai swiftly fired four kunai towards the ever-approaching threat, who skilfully avoided the weapons gracefully, continuing towards him. For Sai, that attack was a double-edged sword as he cursed inwardly at himself, biting his teeth together painfully in an attempt to keep from crying out. This failed to go unnoticed by Sakura as she slowed to a stop some feet away.

"Give it up, Sai. There's no way you can win in that condition." Sakura advised, drawing yet another kunai, tossing it leisurely at Sai. She smirked as he jumped sideways, falling to all fours and visibly in pain as he squinted. "With the way you're moving, those ribs will puncture your lung in no time at all, leaving you helpless as you slowly drown in your own blood." Sakura stated as if she were reading it from a textbook, closing the gap between them. Pulling out another kunai, the kunoichi glared down at Sai with a blank face as he began to have trouble breathing. "This is the end of the line, Sai." Flicking her wrist, the kunai shot through the air directly towards the injured shinobi's face.


	4. Instinct

**Sorry for the wait! I sort of left my binder in my locker at school over the long weekend, but at least it gave me time to plan the things that are to come! Yes, I know, the way this chapter ends seems like the end of the story, but don't let that fool you! There's still plenty of dialogue to come—just a matter of whether or not I decide to be lazy when it comes to typing it up.**

**Well, anyways, enjoy the story! And please review! They're like food… They keep me alive.**

Snatching the discarded kunai to the left, Sai stabbed it through the hilt of the oncoming kunai, catching it as it spun before firing both weapons back at Sakura before violently gagging as blood filled his throat. The kunoichi was caught slightly off guard as one of the two kunai managed to graze her bare thigh, warm blood trickling down her leg as a result. She barely noticed, however; the sight of Sai on the verge of a bloody death forced memories of _him_ to flood through herself, placing her focus deep in the recesses of her mind.

It wasn't until a large amount of the shinobi's splashed from his mouth onto the ground that Sakura snapped out of her reservoir. Sai glanced up between bloody coughs as a blurred vision of his teammate began nearing him. Squinting as the colours began running together, Sai leapt at the approaching kunoichi, grabbing her wrists in hopes that he could somehow subdue her in the state he was in. The woman's eyes were far away, though, as they fixated on the trickle of blood form the jounin's lips, watching with pained fascination as it ran through his shirt and down his abdomen, staining skin and clothing alike.

Coming to a decision, Sakura lifted her right leg slowly as to not alert the wearisome man before kicking him away from her and onto his back, lightly walking towards him. Sai let out a pained gasp as he landed roughly on the uneven ground, in far too much pain to defend himself against any attacks the kunoichi may decide to deliver. Upon reaching the shinobi, Sakura bent down over him, slowly lowering her hand. The sudden shadow darkening the already limited amount of light penetrating through his eyelids warned Sai of oncoming danger. He ripped his eyes open, reflexively grasping the kunoichi's arm in a seemingly hopeless line of defence. Sakura frowned before pulling her arm free of her teammate's hold.

"Stop that," She whispered hoarsely, in an almost tormented tone. Sai kept his eyes placed on her hand as she lowered it again. Making contact with his chest, Sakura watched as his eyes widened noticeably, gritting his teeth as he strained to hold back a pained growl. The chuunin's face fell flat as her eyes closed, focusing on Sai's chakra system as she forced her own chakra to flood the flow, setting and mending the broken ribs along with the punctured lung. The jounin grasped at the kunoichi's arm, so filled with pain that he pleaded her to stop with his actions, but at the same time, relieved of that pain she had previously caused. Sakura strained to stay focused as the shinobi writhed slightly, trying to keep the connection long enough to repair his body. Once Sai settled down and his breathing returned to normal, the kunoichi pulled her arm back, hastily retreating. Lightly gasping for air, Sai gave her a look that asked for an explanation.

"I can't be held responsible for losing… another teammate…" She stated slowly, eyes cast downwards as she refused to look at the now healed shinobi as he stood.

"Well, as you can see, Hag, I'm fine," Sai replied, wiping some of the blood off of his face. Sakura turned back to glare at him as he gave her a warm smile.

'**THAT DAMN SAI! I SHOULD'VE JUST LET HIM BLEED TO DEATH!**' Sakura's eye twitched murderously. "Well, _Sai_…" She began, forcing a smile in return. "Since you seemed so willing to train with me that you'd allow yourself to die," Sai's smile fell, quickly replaced by a hard gaze as she continued. "We should continue with the training then."

They held each other's gaze for a couple moments before methodically drawing weapons of choice, dashing towards each other. They metal objects barely had a chance to clash together as the two nin simultaneously used a short ranged teleportation jutsu, enveloping the area with clouds of dust and smoke as the weapons fell to the ground. As Sai pivoted, he caught Sakura from the corner of his eye performing the shadow clone technique for a second time that day, wasting no time in dodging behind her, giving her what would've been a spine fracturing kick had it not been a clone. She smirked as she exploded. Crossing his arms in front of himself to shield his eyes, the shinobi quickly regarded that he was surrounded.

'Two clones and the Hag. Or are they all clones…?' Not being graced with a chance to study their behaviour, one of the kunoichi launched a devastating blow at him while another swung a kick from behind. Grabbing the first attacker's forearm, Sai pushed down on it forcefully, causing her to lose balance as he crouched with her still held firmly in his grasp. Having no time to stop, the other kunoichi nailed the first attacker in the head. Pulling a kunai from his holster, the jounin expertly plunged it into the kicker's gut as he stood, watching with little interest as he eyes widened before she was reduced to nothing.

Changing his grip on the kunai, Sai spun around, casting it at the only opponent left as she drew her arm back to attack. Spotting the kunai, Sakura lowered her head as she sprinted towards the shinobi, aiming for his chin as she lifted herself from the awkward running position.

Acting swiftly, Sai caught the chuunin's arm, shoving it away from his head as he prepared his own punch, only to have it blocked by Sakura's other arm. The jounin observed that she seemed to be more focused on training, rather than regarding it as a 'kill-Sai-as-violently-and-painfully-as-possible' session.

Sakura sneered before slamming her caught arm against the shinobi's head, knocking him off balance and faltering his vision as she readied a kick. Unbeknownst to her, however, Sai had already sped behind her as he grasped her ankle, twisting it painfully as Sakura was flipped over onto her back before kneeling over her, snatching a forgotten kunai and pressing it up against her neck.

Giving her his usual forced smile, Sai mocked the trapped kunoichi as she struggled underneath his weight, clutching the offensive arm in an attempt to push the kunai away from her throat. "I thought what Hags lacked in beauty, they made up for it in ability, but it looks like you possess neither. No wonder we failed to obtain that Uchi—" The shinobi wasn't given a chance to finish his sentence. Fuelled by pure and utter hatred towards the jounin, Sakura wound her left leg around Sai's, shoving his shoulder roughly. The jounin's eyes widened as he was suddenly slammed onto his back, the positions now reversed as a seething kunoichi loomed over him.

"How _dare_ you talk about him! Who the hell do you think you are?! You come out of nowhere, join our team, piss us off to no end, and for what?! To help us fail a mission!" The kunoichi now had a substantially firm grip on her teammate's shoulders, choosing to life and shove him into the ground repeatedly in time with her syllables. Sai was beginning to suffer from a headache as a mass of pink hair blurred in front of him, his skull continuously ricocheting against the ground from lack of support. Sakura only grew more angered as memories began tormenting her mind.

'He's right, you know. He's right, and you know it. When have you ever been of help? You've always been the one behind, the one who needed to be looked after, the one causing problems.'

'Shut-up! Just shut-up!'

Sai was too close to the verge of unconsciousness from the violent attacks to notice the warm droplets that were raining down upon his face.

'If I'm so wrong, then how come you couldn't save Naruto? Yamato-sensei? From _him?_'

'Stop it!'

'_He_ was the one who saved Naruto. You could do nothing. You _did_ nothing. And here you are, taking out your anger because you're such a failure on _him._'

'Be quiet! What do you know!? Just shut-up! I don't want to hear this anymore!'

'_He_ saved you…'

'No! Stop it!'

'He saved you… from _Sasuke_…'

Sakura let out a piercing, anguished yell as she refrained from shaking Sai, only to begin bashing his head in with her fists, desperate to prove herself wrong; that she was strong. That she _wasn't_ a failure. Sai failed to remain oblivious to her falling tears this time, even if half of his facial structure was currently smashed into multiple pieces.

Sight obscured with tears, Sakura barely observed the salty liquid mixing with the blood on the shinobi's face, gently washing some of it away as she sobbed hysterically.

Just as Sai blinked enough blood and tears out of his eyes to clearly focus on her, the kunoichi brought her arm back once again, preparing to strike one last time. Clenching his bruised and bloodied eyes shut, the jounin awaited the final blow. He whipped his eyes open in shock when soft, smooth skin traced his marred face, trying to refocus his vision on his teammate. Sakura was still emotionally unstable—it was as obvious as the liquid still dripping down her skin—but as to why was a far more difficult question that Sai failed to have an answer for.

Exhaustion finally seeping into his mind, the shinobi accepted defeat and closed his eyes, subconsciously leaning into the kunoichi's touch, her chakra flooding his system, mending torn muscles and broken bones as tears continued to wet his face. Without knowing, Sai entered a state of bliss—never had someone touched him so gingerly… Caressed him with concerned fingertips… _Worried_ about him.

'I'm so sorry, Sai. I… What have I done? You… You're not _him_… no… You're…'

Opening his eyes, Sai caught Sakura's glistening gaze as crystal water continued falling from her eyes. As the jounin pushed himself up into a sitting position, the kunoichi gasped, standing up quickly. The sudden elevation change made her light-headed as memories of all her failures continued repeating themselves in her mind. Stumbling backwards while trying to cover her face with her arms in both shame and embarrassment, Sakura tripped over a large piece of earth from their training earlier, completely losing her footing as she fell.

Recovering amazingly fast, Sai jumped to his feet, extending his arms towards the kunoichi, pulling her towards him without and thought. His eyes widened in realization as he held Sakura's head against his chest with one hand, gently supporting her against him with the other.

'I don't recall reading this in any text book… Is this what they call "human instinct"?'

The jounin averted his eyes over to an uprooted tree as he lowered themselves to the ground, only now, Sakura was clutching as his shirt. Softly, the cherry-haired woman mumbled something incoherently, her breathing partially returned to normal, while Sai's heart began pounding rapidly with anticipation.

"Pardon?" He whispered, neither of them seeming to notice the politeness in the question as the kunoichi raised her head. The jounin couldn't _not_ look at her as her tears continued to flow. Again, without thinking, he wiped at her face with a gloved hand, savouring the temporary warmth of the salty liquid through the material. The afternoon sun started to paint the early evening sky with several shades of orange, creating a fiery light.

"I'm sorry." Sai's breath hitched in his throat as Sakura glanced down, as if ashamed, or thinking. 'Sorry…? For what?' The shinobi's head was suddenly filled with questions, each one exploding into multiple others.

"I…" Sai listened intently, focused on not missing a single word that feel from the chuunin's lips. "I shouldn't have acted that way. I… treated you with disrespect, and…" The kunoichi raised her head, face set with determination. Her tears had subsided, but Sai could still outline the dried rivers on her face, proving that they once existed. "I shouldn't have let what you said about… about him get to me… and I should treat you better—you're not supposed to simply be a stupid replacement—we're supposed to be friends, too!" Sakura yelled, as if arguing with herself out loud. Sai blinked at her, obviously lost, the initial conflict too far over his head. Regaining his composure, he smiled at her.

"Friends? Who ever said I wanted to be friends with you?"

To his astonishment, the kunoichi smiled at him. A _real_ smile. "You're so… predictable…" Sakura fell helplessly limp against Sai as he supported her weight, smile buried yet again beneath layers void of emotion. He could still feel Sakura smiling as she spoke again. "No… You're definitely not him…" Sai focused on lifting the delirious chuunin while listening to what she had to say. As she placed her arms around his neck in order to help support herself while she was lifted from the ground, she allowed heavy eyelids to slide shut. "You're not… Sasuke…" Sai took mental note that this was the first time she'd ever mentioned the Uchiha's name to him as he began walking with her in his arms. "You're Sai. Our Sai." Her arms tightened slightly, smile still painted gently on her tear stained porcelain features. "_My_ Sai."

Sai froze as a strange, foreign sensation tingled in his feet, quickly washing over the rest of his body in an accelerated wave. Taking a chance, the shinobi took a hesitant glance around the deserted street before quickly casting his gaze downwards before returning it to the building in front of him. Looking down at the woman again, Sai assured himself that she was asleep before studying her. Not once had he seen his teammate in such a state of peace; relaxed, smiling, _not _trying to murder him. Her usually stern, fierce mask not in place, allowing one to observe her gentle, caring expression. Her hair seemed soft and shiny, perhaps even pinker as a light evening breeze played with it, brushing it against the jounin's one bare arm. Continuing en route, Sai mused to himself as he occasionally stole glances down at her.

'Has she always been this light? Did her skin always appear this smooth?'

Rounding a corner, the Hokage tower appeared closer as he continued, careful not to jostle the sleeping kunoichi from her dreams.

'When did she get this delicate?'

Sai didn't understand that this was just the beginning of a sea of unanswered questions that would keep him awake at night as he flipped through pages, studying the print carefully for the answers. The jounin's only hope to answer these questions was the very person in his arms.


	5. Don't Do Anything

**AN**: UGH I'm such a horrible person! -cries in corner- I'm so sorry! I haven't updated in so long… Don't get me wrong—I don't plan on discontinuing this. Things just got very crazy, what with school, obligations all over the place, and the good 'ol reliable writer's block. And to think I sat down planning to draw… Well! You get this instead. Please don't hate me. TwT

**-----**

Papers lay everywhere. Shizune was beginning to grow tired, while her superior (and pet) seemed to be getting even more and more out of control.

"Tsunade-sama, don't you think—no, no; put the chair _down_…"

A few raps against the beaten doors caught the Hokage's attention, who smiled drunkenly with a rather large chair positioned dangerously above her head.

"Shhznay! Opn thh dohr! Ohh, nvrrmnd, I gots iht."

Shizune gaped helplessly as the chair flew past her head, smashing the already brittle and beaten door to pieces. Tonton's squealing combined with Tsunade's drunken shrieks and destructive violence was giving her a headache. Only _slightly_.

Turning towards the now splintered, open hole in the door while rubbing her temples, the exhausted jounin apologized, sighing.

"I'm terribly sorry for that. Tsunade-sama is a little… Oh; it's you."

Shizune stopped her apology short as she finally acknowledged who was standing near the debris of chair and door. Gesturing towards the girl, Shizune brought up a question.

"What happened to her?"

"We were training like we were asked of the Hokage, and she used up all of her chakra." Sai replied, struggling to stay focused on answering the multitasking secretary and bodyguard's inquiries, rather than the comedic ruckus that was currently taking place behind her. He flinched as something shattered.

"Uh-huh." Shizune nodded, not paying much attention to the shinobi's problem, but rather worriedly eyeing the shattered bottles of saké and the frolicking Godaime who was currently swinging another floor lamp around, swiftly knocking a bookshelf across the room.

"So…" Sai continued awkwardly, holding Sakura out towards Shizune. She appeared to catch on.

"What? Oh, no, I'm a little occupied right now…"  
Sai frowned, glancing down the roseate. "Well, what am I supposed to do with her?" His question received a vague answer as the jounin started across the room towards the hell that was beginning to really break loose.

"Make sure she gets rest. Oh, and food. Food is good."

"But—"

"Tsunade-sama! No! Put the desk _down!_ Uh—I think it's best if you were to leave now." Shizune advised warily. The shinobi was about to protest when he felt something… _strange._ Glancing down at his leg, he reflexively kicked Tonton away.

"Did your pig just—"

"GO. NOW."

A picture frame whizzing past his head removed any doubt Sai had of leaving. Shifting his hold on the kunoichi, he briskly fled the tower, subconsciously praying that it didn't collapse while he was still inside.

Once outside, Sai thankfully inhaled the crisp evening air before realizing something was amiss. Or rather, there was something that shouldn't be. Sending his gaze downwards at the peacefully recuperating teen, the shinobi took a moment to memorize the way her soft, pink tresses splayed playfully across her cheeks; how the late afternoon sun gently shone upon her lightly wet, slightly parted lips; how her expression was that of serenity, polar opposite to that of her thunderous rage she'd unleashed relentlessly upon him time and time again, and her eyes…

Sai frowned. Her eyes were closed. How was he supposed to study them if they were hidden? He was pulled out of his reverie when someone called him.

"Sai? Is that… Sakura?" Ino questioned innocently from behind a stunning flower display. The shinobi glanced up, indifferent about the situation. Ino continued to analyze him, confusion printed clearly across her face while she blinked, waiting for a reply.

"Oh… Hello." Sai eventually answered. He quickly came to the conclusion that he'd walked into town while studying his teamate. Giving the inquiring kunoichi his attention, the temporary replacement for team seven gave her his famous smile. "Ms. Lovely, it's nice to see you." Ino returned his remark with a quizzical look.

"Right… Anyways, what happened to Sakura? And more importantly, what are you doing, and _where_ are you going?" Ino now positioned her hands on her hips, a long-stemmed lily dangling from her fingers as the concern for her best friend easily stomped out her inner fangirling swoon for the dark-haired boy. Sai felt a little taken aback by her sceptical glare. "Well?" The blonde pressed, growing impatient?

"We were training, and she fell unconscious once her chakra was depleted." He answered, a fear for the monstrously strong kunoichi's friend beginning to sprout within. The last thing he needed was _two_ pissed off teenage females constantly trying to murder him, or at the very least, torturing him to the edge of death.

"And?" Ino snorted in reply, obviously not satisfied with his answer.

"Pardon?" Sai was unsure of how to deal with this girl; he'd only spoken to her a few times before, and even then, most of those encounters ended with a few bone fractures courtesy of the girl whom he was currently in possession of.

Ino proceeded to inch closer, interrogating him with a threatening look in her eyes. "So you two were training, she passed out, and now you're carrying her around Konoha?"

Sai processed the question thoroughly multiple times before nodding in response. "Yes, that's correct."

"Have you reported back to the Hokage yet?" Ino continued, her eyes piercing through Sai's like newly sharpened katana—easily seen, but horribly difficult to evade.

Sai hesitated before answered. "The Hokage was occupied, but I did visit her at her office." The jounin recalled, his gaze shifted to the top right of his peripheral. When he returned his attention to Ino, however, he suddenly wished he'd been studying the Yamanaka's flower shop sign a little more closely.

Instead, he found the blonde glaring at him while standing as close as possible, Sakura being the only thing keeping her at the mere distance she was. Sai faltered slightly, taking a step backwards. He gasped a little when Ino grabbed his arm forcefully.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I…" Sai paused. That was a good question. The logical place to take her would be to her house, only… the roseate had been reluctant to disclose that information to the replacement members of team seven. "I don't know." Sai finally replied.

Ino let out a small laugh. "You don't know where she lives, do you?" She teased, obviously enjoying the fact that Sai lacked this knowledge. He frowned. This wasn't right. He was supposed to be the one mocking others, not the other way around. Then something clicked.

Did this mean he could hit her?

Before he could decide upon his next action, the kunoichi's attention was stolen away.

"Oi, Ino! Are you ready yet?" Shikamaru called from a little ways down the street, greeting his teamate with a raised hand in a sort of partial-salute. Sai turned to acknowledge the new company, oblivious to the fact that carrying around an unconscious girl such as he was could be a rather peculiar sight.

"Ah!" Ino cried out, "Just hang on a second!" Shikamaru merely nodded as he took his place beside Sai, watching the blonde dash inside. "So… Any particular reason you're carrying Sakura?" The chuunin questioned, attempting to spark a conversation.

"Actually, Shi…" 'Think. Nicknames. Shikamaru is lazy.' "…ka, I'm supposed to take her home." Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and continued to stare. Sai shrugged. "That's what Ino said."

Shikamaru sighed, looking away. "Whatever. Just don't… _do_ anything to her." He warned, giving Sai an icy gaze from the corner of his eye.

'Do…?' Sai pondered.

"Okay! I'm all ready!" Ino announced as she emerged from the store. "Let's go then. Asuma-sensei won't be very ecstatic if we show up late." The shinobi stated, already heading back in the direction that he came from. Sai turned to Ino, who thrust a piece of paper into his face. "What's…"

"It's her address, moron. Just take here there. Her parents won't be home—they're off on a mission—but there's a key under the third flowerpot to the left of the door." The blonde explained as she fiddled with her clothing. Sai took the paper warily before earning a concerned expression from the girl. "If I find out you've done anything to her…" She allowed the threat to trail off as she headed after her teamate who turned back, giving Sai an, 'I'm watching you' look. Sai watched Ino's hair swish through the air as she ran to catch up.

"That's… what he… said."

Turning to look at the girl in question, Sai expressed a look of pain. He felt… very confused; he wasn't hurt, so why did he feel like he was? Checking the paper for the address, Sai tucked it away before strengthening his grip on his teamate, dashing through the streets.

Arriving at her house didn't take long. He'd even managed to locate the key, after accidentally smashing a few of the flowerpots with Sakura's boots when he'd knelt down. What both Shikamaru and Ino had said was bothering him for some reason.

Shaking his head, almost in an attempt to rid himself of the questioning thoughts, Sai swiftly unlocked the door before allowing himself inside. He turned around, taking in the plain cleanliness of the house as the resounding click from behind told him the door had shut. Kicking his sandals off, Sai carried Sakura over to the couch, where he carefully set her down. Without thinking he gently brushed her silky hair from her eyes, quickly retreating his hand when she moved, making a small, nearly inaudible noise. He watched her intently for any signs that she was awake, but she remained still.

Sai frowned yet again, for reasons that he didn't understand. He stood next to the couch simply watching her sleep before glancing up at the clock, at which time he realized that he was hungry. Taking in his surroundings more thoroughly, he headed for the kitchen. After cautiously searching the room for food that he could prepare, he decided that searching through his wallet would bring a safer, more appetizing result.

Returning to the entrance, Sai glanced over to the still sleeping kunoichi as he put his sandals back on. He nodded before exiting, careful about locking the door behind himself and returning the key to its proper hiding spot amongst the broken shards of clay. Casting his gaze to the fiery sky, the shinobi found himself with plenty of time to spare. Most take-out shops were open late, which was fortunate for Sai, as he was currently processing a mass number of thoughts and questions. Wandering aimlessly into the heart of Konoha, the jounin watched the ground in front of him repeatedly pass beneath his feet.

"What did they mean, 'don't do anything to her'? What could I have done, and why would it cause them to worry? Unless… Ah, I see. They're her friends… So they were worried. But what about?" Lost deep within his sorting and calculations of his thoughts and assumptions, Sai failed to notice the stumbling girl who's just lost her balance trying to avoid walking into him.

"Ahh!" Sai snapped back to reality in time to watch helplessly as the girl fell to the ground, her bags and their contents quickly scattered throughout the street. "Hinata-sama!" Neji called out as he rushed to his cousin's side with a look of concern. Sai merely watched before noticing an apple that had rolled into his foot. Picking it up, along with a various assortment of other items, he walked over to Hinata, who was now back on her feet, attempting to recollect her purchases.

"Uhmn, I'm sorry. Ah; here's—" Sai was cut off as Neji's look of concern drastically morphed into that of loathing. The replacement stood frozen still as the other male took the items from him. "Stay away from her." He hissed before turning his attention back to Hinata. She mumbled her 'it's alright's and 'thank-you's to the already departing jounin. He was hurting, but there was no blood, therefore, he wasn't hurt. This logic made no sense to Sai. He breathed in deeply, the scent of a variety of foods tickling his nose, and in turn, egging on his hunger.

"Maybe if I eat, the pain will stop." Turning into the nearest open-air take-out shop, Sai heftily ordered two dishes of sukiyaki to go. After nearly tossing his money at the man, Sai hung one of the bags by his elbow before tearing into the other. The significant crack of the chopsticks and the respectful 'Itadakimasu' initiated Sai's indulgence of his meal. He found himself wandering, and, once again, wound up in front of a familiar store. He thought for a moment, dumbfounded, before entering the store without any clue as to what his intentions were.

**-----**

A small groan could be heard as the girl rose from her slumber, swinging her legs off of the couch before arching her back, tossing her arms up as she stretched pleasurably. "How long have I been out…" The kunoichi asked her empty house. She frowned. "What happened?" Not expecting an answer, she headed to the bathroom. Taking in her appearance, Sakura decided that a shower was due.

Turning the knob, she quickly stripped, tossing her dirty clothes into the hamper, not before making sure there was an ample supply of towels. Pulling the curtain aside, the chuunin stepped in to the waterfall of soothing relief. Sliding the curtain closed, Sakura closed her eyes and turned to face the spray of water, allowing it to rinse away the dirt and sweat. Her eyes shot open in realization, followed by cursing as she reached blindly for a face towel. But the question lingered in her mind; what happened to Sai? Her curiosity burned her mind, but she fought it back, focusing at the task currently at hand.

It didn't take long for her to finish, but long enough that the air was hot and thick with steam when she stepped out, reaching for a plush, white towel. Sakura swiftly wrapped it around herself, messing with her hair lazily while squinting into the foggy mirror, making a face before exiting the room. She was about to head upstairs when she sensed something… Some_one._ Turning towards the kitchen down the hall from the base of the stairs, Sakura froze as fear and panic both battled to flood her body. She immediately felt sick. Here she was, dripping wet in nothing but a towel, and someone—possibly a robber, or worse, a murderer—was standing in her kitchen.

No, that wasn't right. That person seemed equally stunned. In fact, they were returning her stare. Now panic was replaced with embarrassment as she stomped her foot angrily. Then she exploded in complete rage once she recognized the figure.

"SAI YOU BASTARD WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STANDING THERE IN MY HOUSE AND STOP OGLING ME GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!!"

The kunoichi screamed furiously, throwing the nearby table lamp at her intruder before stomping towards him. Sai acted like a deer caught in the headlights until the lamp connecting with his elbow told him to run for his life. Sakura continued screaming profanities at him through the night air until he leapt out of sight onto the rooftops before slamming the door shut and twisting the deadbolt. Leaning back against the front door, Sakura ran one hand through her wet hair while the other clutched her towel protectively.

"What the hell was he doing in my house?" She once again asked her house, sighing exasperatedly. Pushing off from the door and dropping her arm at her side, the kunoichi continued towards the stairs as her stomach growled angrily. Passing the kitchen, something caught her eye. Slowly, she turned towards the table. Suddenly, it felt like her heart fell into her feet. There on the table was a bag containing sukiyaki, and placed carefully next to it…

A vase of flowers.


	6. Shady Character

Soft eyelashes tangled together as the kunoichi clenched her eyes shut, moaning as she turned away from the morning light streaming in through her window. Stretching as best as she could caught between her sheets, Sakura turned to her clock, which in return ticked 5:00am back at her. Blinking, she reached over and picked up the cheerful pig her sensei's apprentice had given her.

Clenching it, the roseate recalled the events of the previous night. Aware that the porcelain item had just cracked within her hand, Sakura let out a heavy sigh, tossing the clock at the wall while she stumbled out of bed.

"Stupid… Sai…" She muttered, dressing in the black ANBU uniform she'd been given for the mission. Tsunade was simply being cheap; Sakura was no ANBU, but Suna didn't know that. After pulling the tight tank over her head, the kunoichi blew away the few strands of rebellious hair as the plain white mask next to the vest caught her eye.

Carrying the rest of her attire downstairs and into the kitchen, Sakura refused to take even a peek at the vase, dumping her things on the far end of the table.

"Did I go shopping yet this week..?" She thought out loud, her naval pressed against the counter while she sifted through the contents of the top shelves. Crying out slightly as a few bento boxes tumbled downwards, Sakura fell to the floor, covering her head sheepishly. Once the noise of boxes crashing around her ceased, she dared to lift her head.

Sighing, she collected the food before realizing she'd missed one. Narrowing her eyes at it, Sakura abandoned the messy pile on her counter, stalking over to the lone box that had somehow travelled across the room. Placing a firm grip on it, the ANBU-wannabe lifted her head. Directly in front of her stood the most gorgeous arrangement of flowers one could imagine, from tiger lilies to daffodils. Faltering at the sight, Sakura's face fell before setting the box down next to the gift.

Shuffling over to the fridge, Sakura half-heartedly tossed a package of bacon onto the counter, lazily closing the door with her foot, jug of milk and three eggs in hand. Swiftly, and almost mechanically, the kunoichi pulled out a mixing bowl, frying pans, and other various ingredients required for her meal.

The scent of the sizzling bacon was enough to make her knees weak, and the chuunin even caught herself drooling as she tended to the eggs. Clumsily tossing the bento boxes back into the cupboard, the kunoichi waited patiently as her food continued to sizzle. Glancing back to the flowers, the girl's mood continued to sway. Her eyes became distant as she replayed what she could remember of the previous day in her mind.

"What… happened?" Her brows furrowed in concentration as she strained to remember her training session. Spinning around, Sakura flipped the bacon as she continued to reminisce. "He'd fractured his ribs, from what I recall… After I'd smashed him into a tree." She snickered evilly. "Serves him right, always mocking me." Despite her personal reassurance, the roseate still felt the weight of guilt, a constant nagging, on her mind.

She placed the spatula down as she pulled a plate from the cupboard, and utensils from a drawer. "He… was bleeding. Sai was bleeding. And... he…" Sakura breathed in deeply. It wasn't the thought of blood that bothered her, but rather, certain memories and images flooding her head. "He looked… so much… He looked _so_ much like—"  
The kunoichi was brought out of her reverie as bacon grease chose that opportune moment to attack her arm. "Ow! Stupid bacon!" She fumed before taking her food from the stove, wiping her arm vigorously with a washcloth. Draining the grease, Sakura decided not to worry about her teammate at the moment. Instead, she smiled happily as she carried her place of steaming food to the table before noisily sliding the chair out. Dropping herself into it, the roseate clapped her hands together, bowing her head and saying her thanks.

After a few hearty mouthfuls, the kunoichi reached for her tall glass of milk. While consuming the frosty liquid, her eyes travelled to the mask. Blinking, she placed the glass down and began what seemed like a staring contest. Reaching over, she picked up the item, continuing to shovel the delicious food into her mouth. After a few moments, she set the mask back down and carried her dishes to the sink where she quickly washed them and set them to dry.

Hurrying over to the spare room, Sakura returned to the kitchen table with an assortment of paint and brushes in her arms. Splaying the bundle on the table, she grasped the mask once again, only this time, she grinned ecstatically. Twisting the caps off of several tubes, the chuunin dabbed a brush into the vibrant orange, placing multiple strokes upon the canvas' cheeks, forehead and chin. Taking a pensive state, Sakura opted for a thicker brush, and this time, splashed several black lines upon the face of the creature. Tilting her head, the roseate studied her work. Snatching at a thin brush, she stroked the outline of the mouth in black, leaving triangular teeth visible. A final brush, saturated in pink, was used to add three final touches.

"There," The kunoichi stated, satisfied with the result. Her smile wavered as she glanced across the table to the flowers. Once again, she fell within the recesses of her mind, desperate to fill the empty space of what transpired. It didn't make sense for Sai to be nice, especially to her, of all people.

A timid knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts. "Ahh..! Coming!" She announced. Sliding the chair back as she stood, the kunoichi checked the clock. 5:34am. Cautiously nearing the door, Sakura leaned towards the peephole.

"Oh, come on! Just open the door already, Sakura!"

The roseate let out a laugh as she twisted the deadbolt, swinging the door open as her friend gave her a look. "Good morning to you, too, Ino." The blonde returned her smile as Sakura stepped aside, allowing her childhood friend to come inside. Closing the door, the roseate turned to her friend. "So, what brings you around here at this hour?" Ino gave her a look of concern, one that sent a wave of uneasiness through the chuunin. "Ino..?"

"Are you alright… Sakura?" The blonde asked. The roseate blinked, before releasing a nervous laugh. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm alright!" Ino narrowed her eyes. "Sakura, yesterday--" The kunoichi cut her friend off.

"Yesterday, I was training for today's mission. And if I don't get going soon, I'll be late for it." She lectured, as if Ino couldn't have figured that much out herself. She received an unhappy stare from her friend, who now crossed her arms in front of her chest. Sakura ignored Ino's suspicious look as she began putting the paints and brushes away. Sighing, she decided that if her friend was so worried as to visit her at five in the morning, then she deserved some sort of answer.

Returning to the kitchen, Sakura found Ino eyeing the flowers. Without even waiting for the question to come, Sakura responded. "Sai… gave those to me. Last night." Ino quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The roseate couldn't help but smile. "Don't give me that look. I'm not even entirely sure of what happened—and no, Ino! I don't mean anything like that!" The kunoichi flustered as she threw a playful punch in the 'ooh'ing blonde's direction. Once she'd stopped laughing, Ino suddenly became more serious. "Are you sure?" She whispered, eyes cast downward.

Sakura's eyes widened. That question had caught her completely off-guard. Studying her friend, she realized that the question was genuine. "Wh-what? I... I-I don't… know?" The chuunin spluttered, drenched in fear regarding her upcoming mission with the shinobi in question. Ino watched angrily as her friend recoiled with shock. "Ino… Why do you ask that?" Sakura managed to breath out.

The blonde boiled on the inside. "He was carrying you around last night. You were knocked out, you know?" Ino began, her childhood friend gaping slightly. "I was going to bring you home myself, but Asuma-sensei had invited the team out for dinner. So I gave him your address, and I told him how to get in, but then later…" Sakura frowned. "Then? Then what? Ino, what happened?" The kunoichi cried, bringing her palms down onto the table's surface.

Ino refused to look at Sakura. "He's… a little weird, you know? Sai… When I got back, I ran into Hinata. Apparently, Sai 'accidentally' bumped into her, and Neji got really defensive, but he's always been like that…"  
Sakura was confused. What did this have to do with her? She listened intently as Ino turned to look at her. "I just… I'm sorry." The blonde's eyes swelled with tears. The roseate rushed over to her friend.

"Hey… come on! Sure, Sai's a little out there, but…" Sakura gazed past her friend, lost as she managed to recall a few things. Smiling, she hugged her friend. "Thank-you." She whispered as Ino wiped at her eyes. That cheerful smile immediately reminded her how strong her friend was; emotionally, not just physically. Returning the smile, Ino nodded. "You're right. Sorry for bothering you!" She called as she headed for the door. Sakura laughed as she waved.

"You can bother me any time, Ino!" She called out as the kunoichi vanished from sight. Feeling suddenly as if the mood was lifted, the teen finished dressing, careful of the wet paint on her mask.

"So, Tsunade-sensei wants us to work together, hmn?" Sakura thought out loud, heading towards the Hokage tower from atop the eclectic roofing. Behind her mask, she grinned. "She really must want me to kill him." The kunoichi growled as she spotted said shinobi in the distance.

Sending her chakra to her feet, the roseate halted atop of a tower. She was eager to get her mission underway and over with, sure, but not so eager to face a certain dark-haired male. Scowling, she felt both angered at herself, and wary of her teammate. Placing her mind on something else, she slid the mask over her head, absorbing the view she had of the village.

The trees seemed to reach for each other as a light breeze danced among them. Few people were outside yet, but those who were could clearly be seen at the training grounds. Sakura inwardly laughed at the nin attempting to fix the geographical mess she'd made. Turning towards the mountain, the chuunin felt a sense of familiarity rise in her chest. She'd always thought that, every time Naruto declared that he was to become Hokage, his face was already up there, carved into stone until the end of time.

Facing back towards the tower, the kunoichi pulled her mask down, leaping skilfully to the next rooftop as several blackbirds scattered, squawking angrily as they flew away. Her teammate, it appeared, had not yet arrived as Sakura carefully entered the Hokage's office through the window. Tsunade didn't seem to mind, much less care; she appeared as bored as ever, her chin leaning into her palm, fighting the urge to let out a yawn. The kunoichi wasn't required to announce her presence. The Godaime lazily waved her hand forwards, requesting Sakura to move within her sight. Scanning the room as she did so, the roseate still found no signs that the dark-haired male had arrived.

Frowning, she stood before the Hokage. "Sakura," Tsunade began, not bothering to appear formal. Rustling through some papers before handing a few to the kunoichi, she continued. "This mission could become very dangerous, more so if you two don't work together as a team." Tonton squealed from Shizune's arms as the doors opened. Tsunade didn't bother acknowledging their entrance. "There have been reports of young kunoichi—shinobi, even, at times—being picked up by a shady character between Sunagakure and Konohagakure." Sakura's brow furrowed behind its hard, white veil.

Picked up..?

Tsunade leaned back into her chair. "The Kazekage has personally requested that Konoha send a team in to investigate, and, if needed, assassinate the culprit."

"But—" Sakura interjected. She halted when Tsunade turned to her. "Apparently, you do not understand the seriousness of the situation?" The Hokage questioned her pupil. Sakura cowered under the authoritative gaze, but stood her ground. "If this situation is affecting both Sunagakure _and_ Konohagakure, wouldn't the Kazekage send in a team as well?" The kunoichi inquired. Tsunade gave her a look of disapproval. "If you don't recall, Sakura, Suna recently suffered heavy losses of its population and nin due to the attack executed by Akatsuki." Sakura bowed slightly. "Yes, I'd forgotten. I'm sorry. Please, continue." She apologized sheepishly.

The Godaime shifted in her chair. "The Kazekage has also offered room and meals in order for you to keep your strength up. It has been reported that the offender has been lurking near Suna's gates, so I suggest you search there, first. Don't forget to check in with the gate nin when you arrive." Tsunade smiled. Sakura carefully tucked the documents into her vest. "Alright, then. Good luck!"

Both nin leapt swiftly out into the brisk morning air. It was only then, while the two of them were heading towards the village gate, that the kunoichi realized how different he seemed. "Are you alright?" As soon as she'd said it, she regretted even opening her mouth.

"Of course, Hag. Not that it's any of your business."  
Oh, yes. This mission was going to be bloody. "Look, _Sai,_" She emphasized his name as she clenched her first in an attempt of self-control. "I… I heard from Ino that you're the one who took me home last night."

Sai listened quietly. The gates were close now.

"And… She seemed worry. That is, Ino did. Umn…" The kunoichi hesitated. Sai glanced over to her when she paused. He could tell she was thinking of whether or not to say whatever was on her mind. He'd read about this many times. Usually, when a person is worried about the consequences of what he or she has to say, they begin to wonder if it's worth even putting it into words. Other times, they simply struggled putting how they felt into words. Sai didn't understand how one could have such a problem, but he figured they were simply troubled in more ways than one.

"Did you… Did you do anything?"

Sai blinked. They leapt down to report at the gate entrance. The shinobi thought. He thought about what Ino and Shikamaru had said, and what Neji had told him as he clocked in with the guard, unaware of the nervously shifting kunoichi next to him. As they sprinted out of the village and into the forest, Sai came to a conclusive answer.

"I bought you dinner, and flowers."

"What?" Sakura felt very lost. Was this guy for real? The jounin turned to her as branches flew past between them, obscuring each other's view, but she managed to note that he was nodding. "What I just said. You asked me if I did anything. I bought you dinner, and flowers." A silence fell between them. "Shizune-san advised me to make sure you got rest and food. Food is good." He quoted, feeling the need to fully answer his teammate's inquiry.

The kunoichi contemplated this. "And the flowers?" Her comment resulted in another air of awkward silence. She turned to study his reaction. He seemed so foreign to her lately; not that he hadn't been before. His appearance completely contradicted his personality, if one could even label the behaviour Sai had. The plain black ANBU gloves and pants, the plain, white vest… But what stroked her as odd and out of context concerning his appearance was his mask.

It was unpainted.

"I don't know."  
Sakura jerked her head forwards, snagging a sturdy branch with her hand just in time to keep from falling to the earthen floor below. Spinning above the obstructive extension of the tree using her momentum, the roseate paused. She allowed the replacement's reply to sink in. Letting out a laugh, the kunoichi caught Sai's attention. He stopped on a branch some twenty feet in front of her, slightly concerned by her actions.

"You… really have no idea about anything, do you?" She asked. The jounin turned away.

"I know as much about everything as you know of how to be pretty." He replied. The kunoichi's heart fell in pain at the sadness in his answer. "Sai…" She began. He spun around fully, heading towards Suna. "We should hurry." He stated. This set Sakura off even more; there wasn't any desperate _need_ to hurry, but she did as she was told asides that. Not a minute later, a rustle to her left alarmed her, pausing as she searched the vegetation, but the cause vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The roseate frowned.

Something just wasn't right.


End file.
